Quick-acting wrench.



PATENTED APR. 21, 1,903.

H. AUB;

N0 MODEL.

Nrrnn STATES y PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY AUE, OF NOBLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

QUICK-ACTING WRENCH.

SPECIFICATEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,013, dated April 21, 1903. Application tiled January 9, 1903'. Serial No. 138,327. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY AUE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Noblestown, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Quick-Acting Wrenches, of which the following is ai specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new nuts upon which it may be desired to use theV wrench. Such being the broad idea of the invention, it may be briefly described to einbrace the following elements: a wrenchshank provided at its outer end with a rigid jaw and its other end shaped to form a han-- dle. This wrench-shank' is slotted from a point adjacent to the inner end of the handle to a point adjacentto the jaw carried by the shank. A movable jaw is mounted to slide on the wrench-shank and has a lever pivoted thereto, which lever is formed at its outer or free end into a handle. This lever, like the shank, is slotted, and pivotally mounted in the slotted shank is a cam which projects into the slotted lever, while the latter carries a bearing-roller adapted to engage one edge or face of said cam, the opposite edge or face thereof bearing against the movable jaw, whereby when the lever is pressed toward the shank the movable jaw is held firmly in the position in which it has been placed on said shank.

All of the above construction, together with other details entering into my invention, will be hereinafter more specifically described and then particularly'pointed out in the appended claims; andvin describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this application, and wherein. like numerals of reference will be employed for designating like parts throughout the different views of the drawings, in whichand useful improvements in wrenches, and relates more particularly to that class ot wrenches I known in the trade as monkeywrenches,the primary object of the invention being to construct a wrench which maybe easily and rap- Figurel is a detail side elevation of my improved wrench, the lever-handle being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a detail edge view of the wrench, and Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view partially in side elevation.

- To put my invention into practice, I provide a shank l, which at its outer end is provided with a rigid jaw 2 and has its other or inner end shaped to form a handle or grip 3. The body of this shank is slotted, as at 4, the slot extending from a Ypoint adjacent to the handle or grip portion 3 to a point adjacent to the rigid jaw 2. Pivotally mounted in the shank within this slot is a cam 5, the back or convex face 6 of. which projects toward the movable jaw ot' the wrench and the opposite edge of which has inclined surfaces 7 8 of different pitch, forming the cam-face 9 between the two inclined faces. The movable jaw embodies the jaw proper, 10, which is made integral with the keeper or strap 11, that surrounds the shank 1. The jaw proper, 10, carries an arm orextension 12, which extends through the slot 4 of the shank 1 and has pivoted thereto the bifurcated end 14 of a leverhandle 15, the outer end of which is shaped to form a handle or grip 16. This lever-handle is provided with a slot 17, which is in line with the slot 4 in the shank 1, and the leverhandle has mounted therein within the slot 17 a bearing-roller 18, adapted to engage with the cam and force the latter into engagement with the inclined face 19, provided on the iuner end of the sleeve or keeper 1l.

In operation it is to be noted that when the lever-handle 15 is moved outwardly from the shank of the wrench either of the two members may be moved-thatvis, the lever-handle and the movable jaw connected thereto may be slid toward or away fromthe rigid jaw, or the lever-handle may be held stationary after being moved outwardly and the shank moved through the keeper 11 of the movable jawwhereby to adjust the position ofv the two jaws. When the jaws have beenV properly positioned, the lever-handle is closed toward the shank and the bearing-roller 18 engages the inclined faces of the cam 5, forcing the face 6 of this cam into engagement with the inclined face 19 of the keeper, thus binding the keeper at point marked, 2O firmly against ICO the shank of the wrench, tending to force the keeper at point marked 2l away from the shank and forcing the face 22 o'f the jaw 10 into firm engagement with the shank. W'hen the jaws are positioned for nuts of large size, the bearing-roller 18 will engage with the inclined or cam face S of the cam 5, and when the jaws are positioned for nuts of comparatively small size, in which condition the cam 5 will be forced largely through the slot in the shank, the bearing-roller will engage upon the cam-surface 9.

It is to be noted that the adjustment is eX- tremely rapid to vary the dist-ance between the jaws, whereby to accommodate differentsized nuts, and as greater pressure is applied to the lever-handle the movable jaw is the more firmly held in position whereby to tirmly grip the nut being operated upon.

lVhile I have herein shown and described the invention in detail illustrating a practical embodiment of the invention, yet it will evident that in the construction various slight changes may be made without departing from the general spirit ofthe invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a wrench, the combination of a slotted shank member having a rigid jaw at one end and a handle or grip at its other end, of a cam mounted in the slot of said shank member, a movable jaw mounted on the shank member, a slotted level-handle member pivoted tothe movable jaw, and a bearing-roller mounted in the slotted lever-handle member to engage the cam carried by the shank member and bind said cam against the movable jaw to lock the latter, substantially as described.

2. In a wrench, a shank provided with a slot and carrying a jaw at its outer end, a cam pivotally mounted in said slot, a movable jaw slidably mounted onthe shank and provided with au extension or arm projecting through the slot in the shank, a slotted lever-handle pivotally connected to said arm or extension of the lnovable jaw, and a bearing carried by the lever-handle t-o engage the cam and force the latter into engagement with the movable jaw, as and for the purpose described.

3. In a Wrench, a slotted shank provided With a jaw at its outer end, a cam member mounted in the slot and free to work therethrough, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the slotted shank, and a lever-handle pivoted to the movable jaw and provided with a slot to receive the cam member, said lever-handle adapted when forced toward the shank to engage the cam member and bind the latter against the movable jaw to lock the latter, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a shank provided with a rigid jaw at its outer end, a cam member pivoted to the shank, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the shank, a lever-haudle pivoted to the movable jaw, and means carried by the lever-handle to engage the cam member when the lever-handle is forced toward the shank to bind said cam member against the movable jaw, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a shank provided with a rigid jaw, a cam member pivoted to the shank, a movable javv slidably mounted on the shank, and provided with an inclined inner end, and means pivoted to the movable jaw and adapted When pressed toward the shank to force the cam member into engagement with the inclined face of the movable jaw, as and for the purpose described.

6. In combination with a slotted wrenchshank having a rigid jaw at its outer end, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the slotted Wrench-shank, a slotted lever-handle carried by the movable jaw, and means mounted in the slotted Wrench-shank adapted to be engaged by the lever-handle when the latter is pressed toward the shank for engagement with the movable jaw to lock the latter in position, 'substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of tWo witnesses.

HENRY AUE.

Vitnesses:

A. M. WILSON, E. E. POTTER. 

